Enhancing Oil Recovery through Wettability Alteration of Sand Aggregates using a Surfactant derived from Bitter leaf Sap

Wettability alteration of the reservoir rocks using surfactant flooding is one of the mechanisms for enhanced oil recovery (EOR). However, due to issues with the cost and environmental factors of conventional chemical surfactants, research has led to the development of biobased surfactants. The performance of 100%, 50% and 25% concentrations of bitter leaf sap(BLS) surfactant in oil recovery was utilized in this research paper through the use of core displacement tests as well as qualitative and quantitative analysis. Experiments included water flooding, oil flooding, and tertiary recovery using 100%, 50% and 25% concentrations of surfactant derived from BLS. The study was carried out using a peristaltic pump for fluid injection, samples were examined using SEM, FTIR, XRD, and XRF analytical techniques in accordance with ASTM guidelines. The findings demonstrated that employing 100%, 50%, and 25% concentrations of BLS for tertiary recovery produced cumulative recoveries of 84%, 78%, and 87% respectively. The bitter leaf sap proved to be a highly effective EOR agent, achieving recovery factors of 71%, 77% and 60% at concentrations of 100%, 50% and 25%, respectively. The displacement efficiencies of 42%, 39%, and 43%, of bitter leaf sap show promise in optimizing overall oil recovery processes. The findings suggest that bitter leaf sap has strong potential for oil mobilization and recovery, particularly in reducing interfacial tension and improving oil displacement.